Chapter 16

As expected, Lele chose the second option without hesitation: “I want to stay with Mommy.”

Ye Xiaoyu didn’t oppose the decision. “Alright. For the next couple of days, Lele can accompany Mommy to her workplace and take a look around. If you feel uncomfortable, you have to tell Mommy. You still have one more chance to change your decision.”

But Lele was resolute: “(I choose) Mommy.”

“Good boy,” Ye Xiaoyu praised.

After taking a hot shower, Ye Xiaoyu lay down with Lele. They were still sharing the same bed for now. Tonight, instead of Mommy telling Lele a bedtime story, it was Lele’s turn to tell Mommy a story.

Just a few sentences in, Mommy had already closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

“Mommy,” Lele softly called, making sure she was asleep. Then, a proud smile spread across his tender face, with faint dimples appearing on his cheeks. Carefully, he scooted closer to his mother, hugged her arm, and patted himself gently a few times. Before he knew it, he had lulled himself to sleep as well.

Outside, the crescent moon quietly hid behind thick clouds, and the world fell into silence.

The next morning, Ye Xiaoyu skipped her morning exercise. She figured today’s physical activity wouldn’t be any less than her usual routine. After the intense bike ride yesterday, even with a soothing massage and a hot bath, her muscles still felt a bit sore.

She went downstairs to buy breakfast for two from Aunt Mao’s stall. While there, she double-checked the work schedule, location, and tasks for her new job, which involved selling goods.

It was then that Aunt Mao realized Ye Xiaoyu herself was the boss. “The rent near the station must be expensive,” Aunt Mao commented, “and hiring employees on top of that? Can you really make a profit?”

Ye Xiaoyu didn’t answer her doubts. Instead, she carried Lele and started their journey for the day.

First, she finished handling leftover tasks from the previous day.

Then, they headed to the station, where she gave the shop a thorough cleaning. During this time, she kept a rope tied between herself and Lele. She pointed to the small storage room and said, “In a couple of days, when Mommy is outside selling things, you’ll play in this room by yourself, okay? If anything happens, just shake the bell on the door curtain.”

Lele nodded. His backpack was packed full of toys, and they had also brought along some clothes, bedding, and other essentials. They planned to move more items over gradually.

Ye Xiaoyu ruffled his hair and praised him again—it seemed she could never compliment him enough.

Staying at the station was a decision born out of necessity.

The national surveillance network was not yet fully developed, and as someone running a business, Ye Xiaoyu carried capital with her. It wasn’t practical or safe to travel back and forth every night in snowy weather with her child.

The poor transportation, harsh weather, and potential dangers made staying at the station the best option for now. For the next month or so, Ye Xiaoyu planned to live near the station. While she wouldn’t always stay in the shop’s modest quarters, she would occasionally rent nearby hotels for short stays.

Long-term lodging wasn’t ideal because inns were chaotic, poorly soundproofed, and not much better than the shop itself. Even hotels, though better, were farther away. When the shop became busy, traveling back and forth would be inconvenient.

This arrangement would undoubtedly be tough for a while.

Ye Xiaoyu didn’t mind enduring hardships herself—she had faced plenty during her time as a migrant worker in the north. But she felt a pang of guilt for Lele. She respected his decision and resolved to send him to her second sister’s home for a month if he couldn’t adapt in the first few days.

The morning was spent cleaning and lightly decorating the shop. Instead of focusing solely on the interior, Ye Xiaoyu made enhancements outside as well.

First, a custom wooden signboard was installed, displaying the shop’s name, “Yanjing Specialties,” in bold and eye-catching colors.

Next, she set up a canopy outside the shop and laid a waterproof tarp on the ground. Though the tarp’s color was dull, she planned to cover it with bright red fabric later.

At that time, there were no strict regulations on street vendors. The area in front of a shop was often considered part of its space, allowing goods to be displayed outside and effectively expanding the shop’s footprint.

Ye Xiaoyu wasn’t about to miss this opportunity. The canopy and red fabric served as her claim to the space.

Once everything was set up, she mingled with neighboring shop owners, exchanging greetings and wishing them prosperity. She was particularly satisfied with the restaurant next door. She had lunch there, and while the food wasn’t remarkable, the owner agreed to sell her hot water, providing a source for warm water bottles and kettles.

By the afternoon, shipments of goods began to arrive. Around 3 p.m., a batch of packaging boxes and cans was delivered.

Ye Xiaoyu pulled out her meticulously prepared eight-page notebook and began packaging the goods. Her goal was to assemble everything neatly and attractively.

Some items were straightforward to package, like wine or wool sweaters, which already came with their own boxes.

Others, like fruits, were more challenging. For instance, she labeled 24 apples, pears, or tangerines with festive stickers, wrapped them in red fabric, and carefully placed them in boxes. Each box included corrugated dividers to prevent the fruits from clumping together. The boxes weren’t perfectly rectangular; their tops featured simple interlocking handles for easy carrying.

Even more complex were combination packages containing various items, which required the use of paper boxes, baskets, glass jars, and decorative red strings.

Little Lele eagerly helped, transitioning from running around to squatting, and finally to sitting while handing over items. For such a small child, his persistence was impressive and surprising.

Meanwhile, Ye Xiaoyu was so busy that her head started to spin.

By the next morning, two helpers arrived.

One was Chen Yanan, a strong-willed young woman introduced by a business partner. She had just started working that year and wouldn’t be returning home for the New Year.

The other was Aunt Li, whom Ye Xiaoyu had met at the North Market. Like Aunt Mao, she came from a financially struggling family.

Following Ye Xiaoyu’s packaging instructions, the two quickly got to work, lightening her workload significantly.

On November 29th, Aunt Mao and a male employee in charge of transportation joined the team, adding two more helpers.

At dawn the next day, Ye Xiaoyu was already awake. She opened the rolling shutter, letting in the fresh morning air. After a simple breakfast, Lele stayed in the small storage room listening to the radio while she began arranging the stall.

She spread out the red fabric, surrounded it with pink balloons, placed two decorative plastic flower baskets, and started displaying gift boxes one by one.

The station was indeed a high-traffic area. With night trains running late and early-morning travelers arriving in droves, many people were already drawn to the vibrant setup.

Curious passersby stopped to ask about the local specialties and their prices.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Xiaoyu brought out a small selection of samples. The gift packages, filled with various items, were prominently displayed in the center. Their festive red-and-gold packaging featured designs like lucky children holding scrolls or the Eight Immortals offering blessings, creating a lively and auspicious atmosphere.

She enthusiastically introduced, “This New Year’s Blessing Gift Box is only 18 yuan! It contains eight types of specialty pastries, including candied fruits made from royal recipes and crispy candies, one of the top three famous sweets. For just an extra 2 yuan, you can add tea leaves or something else to it. Not enough? We have upgraded gift boxes too—38 yuan or 48 yuan for premium packages, perfect for gifts or maintaining connections. This fruit box costs 16 yuan and contains premium Jing Bai pears—big, juicy, and sweet. We also have mixed fruit boxes with apples, pears, oranges, and more. We’ve got wine, too! Our Reunion Gift Box is 168 yuan, and the Family Bundle is 888 yuan. It includes everything: food, drinks, toys, and even eight wool sweaters to keep your family warm and cozy.”

Ye Xiaoyu’s prices weren’t exactly cheap—the most affordable option was 18 yuan, while the Family Bundle cost an astounding 888 yuan, comparable to a mid-level skilled worker’s monthly salary. However, people at the time placed immense value on celebrating the New Year. They didn’t mind lugging specialty goods back home from afar. Though wealthy individuals were in the minority, there were still plenty of them. Even middle-income and less affluent families were most willing to spend during the New Year, often going all out to ensure a festive celebration.

Before long, the first real customer arrived. He bought a 48-yuan package of tea leaves and osmanthus wine, drawn by the “specialty product” branding and the elegant packaging showcasing its Beijing origin.

Was Ye Xiaoyu merely selling products? Not exactly. Was she selling packaging? Not entirely. She was selling status.

Soon after, two other hesitant customers who had asked about prices decided to purchase the 18-yuan “New Year’s Blessing” gift box.

Then came a whole family, living nearby. They bought a box of Jing Bai pears, a basket of red oranges, and a bottle of Erguotou liquor. Spotting a child among them, Ye Xiaoyu gifted the child a pink balloon and a plastic peony flower.

By the time Aunt Mao and her team arrived, Ye Xiaoyu had already made a sale worth 168 yuan.